In 2002 His Majesty King Abdullah II initiated the concept of building a museum to house historic armoured fighting vehicles in an appropriate setting for future prosperity. Accordingly, he convened a meeting in Aqaba to review new proposals for the concept and detailing of the Royal Tank Museum (RTM). The site assigned to the Royal Tank Museum comprises two blocks of land in the southern part of Aqaba in a purpose-built facility estimated at seventeen thousand square meters, sufficient in size for the display and storage of up to 140 armoured vehicles as well as galleries for the display and storage of historic artefacts. The objectives were to provide a unique centre of information, entertainment and learning, based upon the historic use of armour in Jordan and in the Middle East and North Africa region, and to promote pride in, and support for, the Jordan Armed Forces. (Source: ProGroup).The Museum exhibits two overlapping themes. Firstly, the story of the development of the Jordanian armed and forces, and secondly, the evolution of tanks from the beginning to the present day. Each of these themes is woven into, and reflected, in the fundamental aims of each hall. Close attention was paid in placing each of the twelve distinct halls in their historic chronological order for dramatic impact and significance. The museum is currently under construction and is due to open in 2012. (Source: Daoud Partners).King Abdullah II has had a long interest and association with tanks. In 1980, he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom as a cadet. He joined the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) upon commission as a Second Lieutenant the following year. He retains close links with the British Army and is the Colonel-in-Chief of The Light Dragoons, a tank regiment and the successor to the 13th/18th Royal Hussars. (Source: MazAlien).

An M48 was sectioned by Jordan Manufacturing and Services Solutions (JMSS) for display in the Royal Tank Museum. JMSS is an affiliate of the KADDB Investment Group and conducts maintenance, refurbishment and rebuilt of armoured and other military vehicles. (Source: KADDB Invest).

In April 2010, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan received three historical military vehicles as an exchange gift from the Czech Republic to Jordan’s Royal Tank Museum, a T-54 tank and two OT-810 half-tracks. On 30 August an AN-124 transport aircraft arrived in Jordan carrying on board two historical military vehicles as an exchange gift from the Royal Tank Museum to the Czech Republic in cooperation with the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB). The historical military vehicles were an M47 tank and a Ford Mutt jeep. (Source: MZV). This T-54 is presumed to be a T-54A of Czech manufacture, and to have come from the Lešany Museum.